Business Tax Committee is a "Sham Consultation"

The Alberta Federation of Labour is criticizing the announcement today of a new Committee struck to review Alberta's business tax regime. The new Committee, says AFL President Audrey Cormack, will be a repeat of the sham consultations held two years ago on the flat tax.

"There is no need to look at business tax right now," says Cormack. "Alberta already has the lowest corporate taxes in the country, and the economy is booming right now. What possible reason could there be for reviewing tax rates?"

"This government won't be happy until business pays no tax in this province," says Cormack, "regardless of what damage that will inflict on essential public services."

Cormack predicts that Treasurer Stockwell Day already knows what he is going to do with corporate taxes, and this Committee is just a sideshow to distract Albertans.

"It will be a sham consultation," observes Cormack. "It will be business hearing from business about what should happen to business - and I think we all know what that outcome will be."

Cormack points out that the committee is made up entirely of businesspeople and government MLA's. "Where is the representation from working Albertans? All Albertans have a stake in what happens to business taxes."

Cormack also highlights that current tax levels are clearly no barrier to investment in the province. "How will dropping corporate taxes even lower help create jobs or improve health care and education in our province? In short, it won't."

"This tax cut game is simply to satisfy Stockwell Day's narrow right-wing ideological fantasies which have no grounding in real life economics."

"Once again, it is the Tories helping the rich get richer, while average Albertans lie on gurneys in hospital hallways and run casinos to pay for school textbooks," concludes Cormack.